The present invention generally relates to portable fireplaces, and more particularly, to a portable outdoor fireplace having a collapsible nature.
Fixed outdoor fireplaces, such as those made from brick, masonry and the like have been known for years. Portable outdoor fireplaces have recently entered the marketplace and have evidenced a distinct popularity. The size of these portable fireplaces is small and their structures are such that they permit them to be easily moved from one location to the other. Such fireplaces are found in the patent literature.
U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 293,191, issued Dec. 15, 1997 describes a portable outdoor fireplace which incorporates the top and bottom covers of the well-known Weber xe2x80x9cKettlexe2x80x9d grill spaced apart by an internal framework that defines a fire pit area. The internal framework must be removed to close the top and bottom covers together. No provision is made for storing the internal framework within the top and bottom covers, and hence these type fireplaces require a large area for storage.
Another outdoor fireplace is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,980, issued Jan. 28, 1997 that is similar to the structure shown in the aforementioned xe2x80x98191 design patent but which further includes a functional fire screen assembly in which a plurality of screens are fixed within a cylindrical frame assembly. This frame assembly includes top and bottom ring members that are spaced apart by columns. The fire screen assembly is large and must be removed and stored separately from the top and bottom covers. This fireplace cannot be easily disassembled and stored in a minimum amount of space because the internal framework of it cannot be easily disassembled.
Another outdoor fireplace is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,915 issued Nov. 10, 1998 in which two hollow rectangular top and bottom members support a fire screen. The bottom member has a series of slots formed in it that receive individual legs. The legs may be inserted into similar slots or the top member to hold the two members together. The legs are slid into slots and are therefore prone to sliding out over when the unit is picked up because they are not attached to the unit. As such, they are prone to being lost. The legs of the unit do not remain on the fireplace when it is in a collapsed configuration.
The aforementioned patent application, Ser. No. 09/526,764, illustrates a fireplace with a handle assembly with supports that extends through a set of opposing rims, or hanger. The cover member is able to be moved up and down along these support members. However, moving the cover member may cause movement of the support members, thus jeopardizing the stability of the fireplace.
The prior art therefore lacks a collapsible portable outdoor fireplace having a support assembly that remains attached to the base when the fireplace is collapsed and which avoids the aforementioned stability problem.
The present invention is directed to a portable outdoor fireplace with a collapsible that overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a collapsible fireplace that is suitable for outdoor use and having a large fire chamber, but which is constructed so that it may be easily assembled and disassembled.
Another object of the present invention to provide a collapsible portable outdoor fireplace and grill that includes opposing base and cover portions, a fire screen assembly supported on the base portion and which extends up from the base portion to define an enclosed fire area therewithin, the fire screen assembly being easily collapsible upon itself for storing between the top and bottom cover members, the fireplace having a handle assembly that is movable between two positions, the handle assembly serving as a means for retaining the top and bottom cover members together when the fireplace is collapsed.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an outdoor fireplace having a base member that supports a fire screen assembly having a plurality of screen panels, the screen assembly being from a large configuration to a small configuration for storage between the top and bottom members thereof, and at least one of the screen panels forming a door of the assembly through which access to the interior of the fireplace may be had.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable outdoor fireplace having top and bottom cover members, the cover members being spaced apart from each other by a fire screen assembly, the fireplace including a support structure attached thereto and which supports the bottom member off of the ground, the support structure including pairs of support legs, the legs having upright extensions that pass through the top and bottom cover members so that the top cover member is slidable on the extensions between an open and a collapsed configuration, the extensions being hinged for folding upon the top cover member to retain the fireplace in a collapsed configuration.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible portable outdoor fireplace and grill having opposing base and cover portions, the base portion of which providing a support combustible material, the fireplace including a fire screen assembly formed from multiple screen panels, some of which are hinged together and others are attached together with pop-out hinge pins, the fire screen assembly being capable of being disassembled into a flat shape and dimensioned to fit between the base and cover portions of the fireplace, the fireplace further having two supports attached to its base member at opposite sides thereof, the supports extending upright and having joints associated therewith interposed between handle and leg portions thereof so that the handles may be pivoted toward each other into engagement with opposing latches that are formed as part of a handle assembly on the top of the cover portion.
The present invention accomplishes these objects in accordance with one principal aspect thereof by utilizing a pair of hollow, top and bottom members that serve as respective cover and base members for the fireplace. A fire screen assembly is supported on the bottom member in order to provide an enclosure for retaining combustible material within the fireplace. The fire screen assembly includes a plurality of individual screen panels that are hinged together, with one or two of the screen panels serving as hinged doors that may be opened without interfering with the cover or bottom member.
In another principal aspect of the present invention, the portable outdoor fireplace is easily collapsible without the need for tools. Due to their hinged nature, the fire screen panels may be collapsed, or folded, into a flat configuration so that the assembly can be easily stored between the cover and base members. The fireplace is supported off of the ground by a support assembly which includes pairs of posts disposed at the opposite ends of the fireplace. These posts extend through at least the cover member of the fireplace in a manner so that the cover member may be slid up and down along the posts away from or near the base member. The cover member is normally supported by the fire screen assembly, but when the fire screen assembly need be removed, the top member is supported on a pair of catch members that are disposed on the posts. In this configuration, the spacing between the top and bottom fireplace members is increased so that the fire screen assembly may be easily removed from the fireplace.
The posts also define as a handle structure for the fireplace. In this regard, they include movable joints that permit movement in one direction but not in another direction, so that the posts may be folded upon the fireplace cover member, thereby reducing the height of the fireplace when it is collapsed. The posts may further have handle portions disposed on their ends and, when collapsed upon the top member, the handle portions may engage the fireplace cover member in a snap-fit type of engagement in order to hold them in place on the cover member and hold the cover and bottom members together. This aspect of the present invention enables the portable outdoor fireplace of the present invention to be assembled, used, and disassembled without the requirement of tools.
The fire screen assembly is hinged together and has a preferred rectangular configuration so that it may be collapsed upon itself into a flat screen structure. The flatness of this collapsed screen structure permits it to be easily stored between the top and bottom members of the fireplace. Additionally, the top and bottom fireplace members each have an outwardly extending flange that runs continuously around the edges thereof. This flange not only support a grill and the fire screen assembly, but also provides an area through which the fireplace posts extend. The flanges further permit the fire screen assembly to fit inside of the posts, thereby saving time and effort when removing the fire screen assembly and when collapsing the fireplace.
In a second embodiment of the invention, the cover and base portions have rims of reduced width at the ends of the fireplace. The support members in this embodiment do not extend up through the rims but are attached to the base member only. These support members have joints formed therein at a level that is above the top of the cover member so that top ends of the supports may be pivoted toward each other and the center of the cover member. A handle member is provided on the cover with two opposing receptacles into which the tops of the supports latch.
Also in this embodiment, the screen door panels of the fire screen assembly can be disconnected from the rest of the screen assembly so that they can lie flat on the remaining screen panels between the cover and base members. The support members include telescoping leg portions that can be disassembled and stored between the base and cover members.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.